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-(No Model.)- Y

D. G. RIOHARDSDN 8c J-. D. O. KNAPP.

' GAR SEAL.

No. 550,136. Patented Nov'. 19, 1895.

ANDREW EGRAHANL PHOTO-LITl-laWASmNGTUMDC UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

DAN o. RICHARDSON AND JOHN D. o. KNAPP, or MINNEAPOLIS,MINNESOTA,ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD TO JOHN H. SESSIONS, or sAME PLACE;

CAR-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,136, dated November19, 1895.

Application filed May 11, 1895. Serial No. 548,906. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DAN O. RICHARDSON and JOHN D. O. KNAPP, ofMinneapolis, county of Hennepin, and State of Minnesota, have inventedcertainnew and useful Improvements in Car-Seals, of which the followingis a specification.

Our invention relates to devices for sealing freight-cars; and theobject we have in view is to provide a seal which cannot be tamperedwith without detection; and a further object is to provide a seal whichshall be very simple in construction and cheap to manufacture.

Our invention consists in a self-fastening car-seal comprising asubstantially- U -shaped shackle having inwardly-turned ends adaptedwhen brought together to engage and look upon one another, and a fragileblock having a transverse opening into which the ends of the shackle areinserted and wherein the same are engaged, the ends of said openingbeing of substantially the size of the cross-section of the wirewherefrom the shackle is formed, and the sides of said shackle beingadapted to engage the sides of said block when said ends are engagedwithin the block, whereby said ends are locked in both directions, allsubstantially as described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a perspective of a portion of the side of a freightcar and thedoor, showing the position of'the device when the car is sealed. Fig. 2is a plan view of the seal after the ends of the wire have been lockedtogether within the ball. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the ball insection and the ends of the wire interlocked. Fig. 4 shows the positionof the ends of the wire just before locking. Fig. 5 is a view of thewire, showing the locking ends. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same.

In the drawings, 2 represents a portion of the side of the car, and 3the closed door, provided with the usual staple at for receiving theslotted end of the strap or bar 5, the opposite end of which is securedto the side of the car.

The seal comprises a wire 6, of spring-steel or brass, havinginwardly-turned ends, as shown in Fig. 5. These ends are taperedslightly, so that the ends will pass without catching, and each end isprovided with a notch or slot 7, forming a shoulder 8 to engage asimilar shoulder formed by the notch in the opposite end of the wire.The wire is bent into a triangular shape, the inwardlyturned endsforming the base, and a ball 9is provided,composed of clay, terra-cotta,glass, or other fragile material which will break when tampered with,and having a 'hole or opening 10 extending entirely through it. Each endof the hole or opening is just large enough to receive the end of thewire which is passed through the same, while the opening is enlargednear the middle of the ball to permit the ends of the wire to pass andthe shoulder in each end to engage the shoulder in the opposite end,thereby locking the two ends together, as shown in Fig. 3. As soon asthe ends are interlocked, it will be impossible to separate them withoutbreaking the ball or otherwise damaging it, so that the fact that theseal has been tampered with will be noticed by the most casual observer.

We do not confine ourselves to the exact form of hook shown in Fig. 5,as any other hooks that are adapted to interlock may be provided in theends of the wire, and it is not necessary to use a round fragileportion, as this part may be made in any desired form without departingfrom the spirit of our invention. When it is desired to open the car,the ball or block is broken and the ends of the wire disengaged. Thewire may be used again and as often as desired until it is broken orworn out. and while we have shown the wire bent in a triangular form itmaybe bent into any other shape, if desired.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- The combination in acar seal, of asubstantially U-shaped shackle having inwardly turned ends, adapted whenbrought together to engage and look upon one another, a fragile blockhaving a transverse opening into which said ends of the shackle areadapted to project and wherein the same may be pressed together andlocked upon one another, the ends of the opening in the block being ofthe size of the cross section of the wire of which the shackle isformed, the sides of the shackle adapted to engage the sides of theblock when the inner ends are in engagement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 1st day of May,A. D. 1895. DAN O. RICHARDSON. JOHN D. C. KNAPP. In presence 0f- C. G.IIAWLEY, M. E. GOOLEY.

